My Antonia
by Kendzora
Summary: If you thought one Sullivan girl was bad, try having two, in the same small town...slight action/adventure, and I do mean slight.
1. Antonia Comes to Town

My Antonia  
  
By Sarah  
  
Disclaimer:Yes, I own them. Hell has frozen over, the devil bought ice skates, and pigs can fly. That is why I am writing fanfiction and have no money. In other words- no, I don't own them. I do own Antonia, Melissa, and anyone you don't recognize. I owe the title to the Willa CAther book by the same name.  
  
Summary: If you thought one Sullivan girl was bad, try having two, in the same small town...  
  
****************** Chapter One  
  
"Chloe, we need to talk," Gabe Sullivan began. He and his daughter were enjoying a half-veggie, half-meatlovers pizza in their kitchen for breakfast.  
  
Chloe looked up her father, her mouth full of veggie pizza, and raised an eyebrow in response.  
  
"Do you remember your cousin, Antonia? She's my sister's daughter," he took a small sip of coffee while waiting for her response.  
  
Chloe chewed, swallowed, and answered, "Yeah, I think so. Isn't she the one that's a couple of years older, dark hair, eyes, and lives in Italy now?"  
  
"Yes, well, your aunt thinks it might be good for Antonia to spend a little more time in the states. It seems she's bored with college and could use a little change," Gabe paused to finish off his coffee.  
  
"You mean she's gonna stay with us?" Chloe's eyes lit up just a bit. At the last family reunion Antonia had been her closest friend, not treating her any different because her mom had just died. "Her mom is Aunt Margaret, right? She and Uncle Anthony own a truckload of European businesses, and Antonia is the sole heir to inherit once they pass on." Chloe was positive she could get an interview, not that anyone in this backwards town would have any idea who Antonia was, or her parents for that matter.  
  
"Yes, on all accounts. Your aunt called me last night and said Antonia was coming tomorrow," Gabe rose and placed his mug and plate in the dishwasher. "I was wondering if you could do a little cleaning up after school today. I thought that since it was the first day there wouldn't be much homework, and I made some of my famous chocolate-chocolate chip cookies, so you could guilt Pete, Clark, and Lana into helping you." Gabe gave his daughter a kiss on her forehead, "Love you, Chloe." He picked up his briefcase from its spot next to the door and left their house.  
  
Chloe put her dishes in the dishwasher as well. She ran back upstairs to give herself the final look over. "Clark Kent, eat your heart out, 'cause 'I love myself today, not like yesterday, I'm cool, I'm calm, I'm gonna be okay.'" She sang the little jingle that had been on that car commercial for the last three months. She and Clark had worked out their problems, but they hadn't really talked a lot since she got back from Metropolis and her internship. He had realized he just wanted Lana as a friend, but he hadn't said anything to Chloe about trying their relationship again. But, if Chloe was completely honest with herself, she realized she was glad he hadn't mentioned it yet. ***********  
  
Clark Kent was leaning against the wall of the school, talking to Pete, when Chloe drove up. His gaze was immediately drawn to her, and he couldn't help but smile as she climbed out of her car, kicked it, and grabbed her backpack from the passenger's side.  
  
Pete rolled his eyes, "Dude, you are on your own with this. I'm not gonna stand here and watch you two make goo-goo eyes at each, while pretending to hate each other. Plus, gotta go check on the new girls. Might have to show an underclasswoman around." He excused himself, yelling a 'Hi' to Chloe, and went off to meet the poor Freshmen girls.  
  
"I hate that beast of an automobile," Chloe grumbled to Clark. She looked up at him and smiled, "But at least the thing runs."  
  
Clark laughed softly, "Oh, the most pessimistic-optimist I know." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her inside.  
  
Chloe huffed in return, "I prefer optimistic-pessimist if you mind."  
  
"Fine, whatever you say your Highness," Clark smiled even bigger as Chloe leaned into him.  
  
"I hope so," she stopped at her locker. "Guess what."  
  
"I'm not good at that game," Clark reminded her, leaning against the locker next to hers.  
  
"Well, then, my cousin, Antonia, from Italy is coming to visit, so you, Pete, and Lana get to help me clean, in return for cookies of course. And before you start, my father made them," Chloe rolled her eyes at Clark's grimace and shock her head.  
  
"Well, for Mr. Gabe Sullivan's Death-By-Chocolate Cookies, I'd do almost anything," Clark leaned next to Chloe's face, "even clean."  
  
"Phew, now I just have to convince Lana..."  
  
"Convince me of what?" Lana's chipper voice came from somewhere Chloe couldn't see.  
  
"My cousin's coming into town, I need help cleaning, my dad's chocolate chip cookies are involved," Chloe rushed out.  
  
"Only for the cookies," Lana smiled, jokingly.  
  
"Why does everyone say that?"  
  
"Say what?" Pete asked, disappointment on his face.  
  
"That we'll clean for Chloe's dad's chocolate-chocolate-chip cookies," Clark supplied.  
  
"I'm in," Pete said. Chloe groaned and slammed her locker closed. Clark and Lana just laughed. Pete smiled and shook his head.  
  
"Great, four o'clock, my house, be ready to work..." ************  
  
At six o'clock, after everything in the Sullivan house had been scrubbed from top to bottom, Chloe, Lana, Pete, and Clark were sitting in the den eating cookies and chips and dip.  
  
"Well, that was the most exhausting two hours of my life," Clark said from his place on the floor, a glass of milk on one side and a plate full of junk food on the other.  
  
"I couldn't agree more," Lana responded from the overstuffed chair she was reclined in. Her plate had two cookies, a few chips, and no dip on it. Her glass was filled with water.  
  
"Me either," Pete was streched on the couch, his plate of food on his stomache and his glass of soda on the coffee table.  
  
"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad," Chloe stated, settling down next to Clark. Her plate consisted of cookies only, and her cup was filled with steaming hot coffee. The other three teenagers only looked at her in disgust. "Once you've filled the copymachine with toner six times in one day, not to mention how many times you've had to replace the paper, taken inventory in the stockroom, taken lunch orders from everyone in the newsroom, written twenty eulogies, and made coffee more times than you can count, and that's just before lunch, nothing seems exhausting anymore."  
  
Just as the others were about to respond, the phone rang. Pete picked up the cordless and tossed it to Chloe. Smiling her thanks, she answered, "Sullivan residence."  
  
"Yes, I was hoping to speak to Señorita Chloe Sullivan. Could you tell her I decided to come a day early and need directions to her house to give my driver," a smooth, eloquent, slightly accented voice came over the telephone.  
  
"Hey, Antonia, just tell the driver to go to-" Chloe cut herself off and pursed her lips. "How come I have the feeling you're outside and just waiting for me to start peeking out the curtains?"  
  
"Oh, all right, I'll admit it. The driver just pulled up to your driveway," Antonia's voice was dark; it just seemed European.  
  
"I'll be right out, a few of my friends are over, you get to meet them," Chloe placed her coffee and plate on a table and stood up. "Bye," she hung up the phone. "Come on, you all can meet my cousin, Antonia."  
  
The four teenagers trampled outside just in time to see a stunning, dark-haired woman step out of a long, sleek, black limo. The woman was about 5'5" and simply gorgeous. Her eyes were dark, luminous, and deep. Her hair was long, dark, loosely waved, with red tints through out, her face an expressive oval, and her body was neither long nor lean, but curvy and fit (think J-Lo or Angelina Jolie). She stunned the four friends.  
  
The driver opened the trunk and set several suitcases onto the driveway as another car pulled up. This one was a nice, expensive, new Ferrari, black. The driver of that car stepped out, handed the keys to Antonia, and climbed into the passenger seat of the limo as the first driver climbed in as well.  
  
Antonia handed a rather large tip to both men before the car drove off, then she turned to look at the four star-struck teens. She looked stunning in her outfit, and she knew it. Her thick dark hair was layered around her face and fell to her upper back. Her perfectly shaped and sculpted face was made-up with minimal make-up. Her body was covered in a burgandy shirt and a black skirt and blazer, with shoes that gave her a full four inches in height.  
  
She looked like she had just stepped out of some magazine, and everyone was flabbergasted. Antonia smiled and hugged Chloe. She then turned to the others as Chloe made introductions. She kissed each person on his or her cheek and was the epitome of politeness and manner school. Antonia then spoke for to Clark and Pete, "Would you two mind helping me take my suitcases inside?"  
  
Without a word, Pete and Clark picked up all the suitcases and rushed them inside. Lana followed with the last bag. Antonia grabbed Chloe's arm and smiled, "It's so good to see you again, I have a good feeling about this."  
  
"Me too," Chloe said, smiling back. ***********  
  
Two hours later, Gabe was home, reading in the living room, and Chloe and Antonia were in the kitchen, playing the challenging game of Go-Fish. Chloe was sipping coffee, de-caf, and Antonia had a mug of hot chocolate.  
  
"Do you have any sevens?" Chloe asked, frowning at her cards. The total was 2-2, and neither showed any action of losing this round.  
  
"Go fish," Antonia said calmly, taking a sip from her mug and studying her cards. She was about to open her mouth when her cell phone rang. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I must take this." The elegant woman put down her cards, picked up her cell phone, and walked into the dining room. "Sí," she answered.  
  
"I was wondering how your trip was," a female's voice came over the line. The statement seemed friendly, but underneath one could hear the practiced tone the voice had.  
  
"It was fine, I made it here with no complaints, except I would have preferred the Ferrari to the limo," Antonia's voice was just as practiced.  
  
"Good to know. Let me speak to Gabe, dear," Margaret's voice was tired. She must have woken up not long ago. "Please don't forget you have to go to that convention in Metropolis on Saturday. It is very important one of us shows."  
  
"I have it under control," Antonia handed the cell phone to her uncle, mouthing who was on the other end of the line, and sauntered back into the kitchen. Chloe was loading up the dishwasher and humming to herself. Antonia reconized the song and started humming as well as she got two cartons of ice cream, both coffee-toffee, and pulled two spoons out of a drawer. She set them down on the counter next to Chloe and hopped onto the counter as well. She popped off both tops and started eating out of one, "Do you have any homework you need to do?"  
  
"You sound like my dad," Chloe jumped onto the counter beside her cousin, "but yes, I do, and I'm gonna do it as soon as I finish this carton of ice cream. Why?"  
  
"Because I wanted to go for a drive, but I didn't know if you would want to, or if you could," Antonia's voice came out soft.  
  
"Go for a drive, if you get lost, call, or ask someone," Chloe suggested, then she hopped off the counter, grabbed her bag, and turned to go up the stairs. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do. Night, Tony."  
  
"Good night, Chlo," Antonia finished her ice cream, then went to find her uncle. He was glaring at the newspaper as if it had bitten him. Antonia's cell phone lay beside him, forgotten. "I think it's dead, Uncle Gabe."  
  
"What?! Oh, the newspaper, no, it's just this article," he handed her the paper. "Did Chloe go to finish her homework?"  
  
"Yes," she muttered in response, settling herself on the edge of the table. She scanned the article. It read:  
  
Lex Luthor Files For Separation of LexCorp. from LuthorCorp. by Perry White  
  
It seems the mysterious Lex Luthor has decided to no longer stand in his father's shadow and to separate from LuthorCorp. He plans to take his shares in the company and several of the smaller plants with him....  
  
"It does not look too bad," Antonia said after reading the business garble most people couldn't understand.  
  
"Except Smallville is one of those plants he decided to take with him, and that could cause problems at the plant," Gabe explained.  
  
"I see," Antonia nodded. "Would it be at all possible to gain permission from you to go drive around town; it'd be nice to get to know the place."  
  
"Not a problem, just be back by one o'clock," Gabe kissed her on the cheek, then went to go check on Chloe before going to bed. He had an early shift tomorrow morning.  
  
"Good night," Antonia called after him. She ran upstairs to change out of her suit and into something a bit more casual. She decided on hip- riding, dark jeans and a black tank top turtleneck. She finished the look with black boots, she looked ready to go on a hike, not drive around a small town. She went back downstairs where her cell phone, lying on the table, caught her attention. She was forced to make a decision. Did she want to make that call, or could she avoid it until Friday? "I'll think about it tomorrow," she confirmed, then she grabbed her small handbag, took her keys and American license, and left the house.  
  
Hopping into the Ferrari, she zoomed down the highway with her music turned up and her windows down. Listening to Alica Keys singing soulful ballads was the perfect way to relax. After a couple of hours of just driving around, Antonia was back at the Sullivans with an almost full tank of gas and a peaceful mindset. She climbed up to the guest room and fell asleep. *************  
  
Since it was Fall Break for Smallville High, it was only a half week, consisting of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. It was also the beginning of Octoboer, so the air was still warm during the day. Chloe trotted downstairs the next morning after having already gone on her morning walk, showered, and dressed, she just needed that cup of coffee to get going. When she got to the kitchen she heard the radio turned up loud enough to wake the dead, at least the dead in the kitchen. Cracking the door open, she saw Antonia sitting there, dressed in a pearl colored silk robe and matching tank top and bottom set, reading the morning edition of the Smallville Ledger and sipping coffee.  
  
Chloe grabbed a cup of coffee and a bagel and joined her cousin. Antonia silently slipped a section of the paper to Chloe, not that she could have said anything if she had wanted. Instead, the two cousins enjoyed their early Thurday morning coffees and a bagel for Chloe. After about fifteen minutes, Antonia turned off the music and faced Chloe.  
  
"I hate to do this to you, but I have to go to a charity event tomorrow night, and I was going to stay in Metropolis overnight," Antonia stared into her coffee.  
  
"Okay, as long as you're gonna be home this weekend; I know you're gonna be here for a while, but I still wanna see you," Chloe didn't let it bother her, she knew it was gonna be like this. "Tonight, you owe me an interview." Chloe then blew her a good-bye kiss, grabbed her backpack, and ran out the door.  
  
Antonia picked up the keys to Chloe's car and stood next to the door. She handed them to Chloe a second later and went upstairs to bathe. She took a quick shower and dressed in the same pants she wore last night, a crisp white blouse, a black belt, and black stilettos. She put her wallet, keys, sunglasses, and lipstick in a larger purse than her small handbag, and exited the house, locking it behind her. She climbed into her car and drove to the Beanery, the Talon was closed because there weren't enough workers for that and Nell's flowershop during the day.  
  
She entered the coffee shop and walked to the counter. After ordering a chocolate chip muffin and a mocha-coconut ice coffee, she settled into a large armchair in the corner, pulled a book out of her bag, and began reading.  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Antonia Tribiani, and what's this she's reading? Mastering the Mind: A Guide to Forensic Psychology, facinating," a female's voice rang.  
  
"It's lovely to see you again, Miss Potter. Or is it Mrs. Somebody, now? I have to say I haven't heard anything," Antonia looked up at this woman through her long eyelashes.  
  
"Might I ask why you, of all people, are in town?" Nell settled herself in across from Antonia.  
  
"I am visiting a cousin, now, if you'll excuse me. I have a research paper on this subject due next week, I'd like to finish the book first," Antonia lowered her eyes and tuned out the rest of the world. She heard Nell get up and leave. The next thing she knew, people were coming in for lunch, and her stomache was growling. Closing her book, she grabbed some money out of her purse, ordered a soup/salad combo, and sat back down.  
  
"Now, one might ask his- or herself what Italy's most valuble heir is doing in Smallville, but I prefer, why isn't she in my house?" a male voice resonated next to her ear.  
  
"Sorry, Uncle Gabe," Antonia put her book down, "I came for coffee and reading, and got stuck until, well, now, I suspect."  
  
"No need to apologize, Chloe just called me to tell me her car stopped in the middle of the high school parking lot. She needs a ride home, and I can't do it." Gabe lifted his briefcase as a way of explanation.  
  
"I have got it covered," Antonia said, glancing at her watch. She would just finish her book in time and still get some more coffee for herself and Chloe. "Have a good rest of day at work," she smiled at her uncle. Kissing her on the forehead, he left.  
  
Antonia finished the book, ordered two mocha cappachinos to-go, and jumped in her car just as it started to rain. She drove to the high school where Chloe was standing under an overhang with Clark Kent. They were holding hands and smiling at each other, but the other students' amazement was focused at another Ferrari in town, with a female driver. Clark and Chloe ran to the car, where Clark jumped in and pulled Chloe into his lap.  
  
"Can you take Clark home?" Chloe asked, feeling dumb about not making sure it was okay first.  
  
"I don't know, can I?" Antonia laughed at Chloe's frown and smiled at Clark. "I apologize for no backseat. It's the downside to this car, the only one," she laughed again as Clark blushed. "Chloe, just tell me where to go, and we'll be there in no time." After she was positive where Clark's house was, she zoomed off into that direction.  
  
"You drive like Lex Luthor," Clark muttered, not aware how close they actually were.  
  
Antonia's face showed a slight change at the mention of his name, "How would you know how Lex Luthor drives?"  
  
"They're best friends," Chloe jumped in, she had to know what that expression meant.  
  
"You know Lex Luthor," Antonia was shocked.  
  
"Clark saved him from drowning in a car accident," Chloe explained, rolling her eyes.  
  
"I see," was all Antonia said, then silence entered the car. Finally, Antonia turned on the radio, "Either of you touches this, you die." She started singing along with the loud music.  
  
"How do you know the words to American songs?" Chloe asked, confused.  
  
"I may be from Italy, but I'm not dead, Chloe," the dark-haired woman laughed. The three companions lapsed into silence yet again. Finally, they pulled into Clark's driveway, where it looked like the rain had let up for a bit. Sitting next to the door was a silver Porche, brand new, with the licence plate *LEX CORP2*.  
  
"You both wanna come in for a while," Clark asked. "I mean to meet Lex, and you could stay for dinner..."  
  
"I have studying to do, but, Chloe, feel free to stay, just call my cell when you want me to pick you up," Antonia said, off-handedly. Her eyes were glued to the car as she handed Chloe a card with her number on it.  
  
"See you later, Tony," Chloe ran from the car to the proch in record time. After tossing his good-byes at Antonia, Clark ran to join her and hit the rain in perfect timing. He and Chloe were laughing when he arrived at the porch, soaking wet. Clark swooped Chloe into his arms and pulled her into the rain with him. They continued to laugh until Clark lightly kissed Chloe on the cheek. Antonia honked lightly on her horn, then backed out of the driveway.  
  
She wondered why Lex was driving a Porche and not a Ferrari. He definitely had enough money, so that wasn't it. If it was his second car, then she could see that, but, still, this was Lex. She shrugged and just listened to her radio as she returned home. She dashed inside and into the kitchen. She opened the drawers in the table under the phone until she found what she was looking for.  
  
"Perfect," she mumbled as she found the list of emergency phone numbers. She scanned the numbers until she found Gabe's work number. Dialing the number on her cell, Antonia perched herself on the counter.  
  
"Hello, LuthorCorp. This is Mr. Luthor's line. How may I help you?" a secretary's tired voice came over the line.  
  
"Yes, I'm looking for Mr. Luthor. He sent me these financial reports to review, but he forgot several. Do you think you could give me his modem number so I could get them?" Antonia asked, her accent was more American now, just a hint of Southern Belle-in-distress in it.  
  
"No problem, Ms..." the secretary had the computer up to double-check this woman's credibility.  
  
"You know, if you could just get me Mr. Luthor's business line, that would be fantastic. I should probably just talk to him," Antonia easily passed into the next lie, though technically that wasn't a lie.  
  
"Well, ma'am, I'm sorry, but..." the secretary knew Mr. Luthor would want her to give his number to this woman, but, she wasn't positive this woman was okay.  
  
"Is he there?...He isn't going to be happy you are postponing this."  
  
"If you could just give me your name, I'll tell him you called," the tired woman offered.  
  
"He doesn't check his messages unless you tell him to," Tony yawned and rolled her eyes at her growling stomache.  
  
"I'll get you his number right away," the secretary knew this woman knew Mr. Luthor if she said that. "It's 555-7980, and his cell phone is 555-5395."  
  
"Thank you," Antonia promptly hung up. She then grabbed a couple of chocolate chip cookies out of the cookie jar and got the milk out of the refridgerator. Pouring herself a glass, she sat down. After finishing her cookies and milk it took her another ten minutes to realize she was staring at her cellphone. "Oh, what the hell," she said, her dark voice was soft.  
  
"Speak," the person who answered said.  
  
"Now, is that anyway to talk to an old friend," Antonia pouted.  
  
"Tony?" the voice asked.  
  
"This conversation is already at the height of intellectual challenges, I see. It's good to hear your voice, I just wanted to let you know I was in Smallville, at my cousin Chloe Sullivan's house. It seems my dear father finally got tired of having to pay for damages," her voice was filled with amusement.  
  
"Somehow, I find that hard to believe," the other person said.  
  
"You'd be right: I've left my wild child days behind me in Paris, London, and Venice; however, I could be up to a good match of wit and integrity."  
  
"I'll pick you up," the voice said before ending the conversation. Antonia laughed out loud, then she ran upstairs to change.  
  
TBC... **************  
  
A/N: Thank you for reading, I appreciate it, and I would like you to review. NO PRESSURE!!! **Peace to all in this time of need** 


	2. And the Fun Begins

My Antonia  
  
By Sarah  
  
Disclaimer:Yes, I own them. Hell has frozen over, the devil bought ice skates, and pigs can fly. That is why I am writing fanfiction and have no money. In other words- no, I don't own them. I do own Antonia, Melissa, and anyone you don't recognize. I owe the title to the Willa CAther book by the same name.  
  
Summary: If you thought one Sullivan girl was bad, try having two, in the same small town...  
  
***************** Chapter Two-  
  
Antonia was sitting in the living room when the doorbell rang. She stood up, straightened her short brown dress and went to answer the door. "You are late," she said in Spanish, the number of languages she knew was challenged only by the number of countries she had been to.  
  
"Your watch is fast," the man returned in just as perfect Spanish. Moving over to English, he said, "It's been a while, Miss Tribiani."  
  
"It most certainly has, Mr. Luthor," she then smiled stunningly at him. "Do you wanna come in for a moment or two, before we go out?" She pushed the door open a bit more.  
  
Lex only smiled at her, then he closed the gap between then and pushed her gently up against the nearest wall. After a pause, neither was sure if they wanted to kiss or not, he backed away, "It's been a moment or two." His voice was quiet, almost husky.  
  
"Let's go," Antonia tossed a lighter brown corduroy jacket over the dress she was wearing and grabbed a matching purse. She stepped outside, where she shivered slightly in the cool air. After making sure her note was in place, her cell phone with her, and turned on, and she had a set of keys, she locked the door.  
  
Lex placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to his car. It only sprinkled slightly before they got in. When Lex turned on the car, Eminem was playing loud enough to wake the dead. Antonia began laughing.  
  
"What exactly is so very funny?" Lex frowned.  
  
"I just never expected you to be an Eminem fan, that's all," she shrugged, then began laughing again.  
  
"What, now?" Lex asked, pulling out of the Sullivans' driveway and towards his house.  
  
"You are driving a Porche, and your licence plate says *LEX CORP2*. You are driving a Porche with the licence plate *LEX CORP2*. You are driv- "  
  
"Yes, I think we've established that I am driving a Porche with the licence plate *LEX CORP2*," Lex sighed as he realized he had left himself wide open for one of her psychology attacks on his mental well-being.  
  
"They say it takes a repetition of three for one to remember something," she sighed then.  
  
"Oh, and who is this elusive They?" Lex glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked like she was a million miles away, and yet, he knew she was right there, in the conversation.  
  
"You know, 'Them,' 'They,' 'Those people,'" she smirked slightly. "Anyway, you are distracting me...Why do you have a new Porche?"  
  
"Because it's a very nice car," Lex avoided her question.  
  
"You got rid of 'Daddy's car,' didn't you?" Antonia knew she was right and only smiled at him. He didn't answer and seemed upset. "Oh, come on, Lex, I'm only joking around. What happened to the fun, laughing boy I used to know?" her voice was soft, an unspoken apology, and it made her accent that much more defined.  
  
"He grew up," there was a pregnant pause. "What about the party girl I used to know?"  
  
"Her father got tired of cleaning up after her. It's the rich kid's syndrome, one doesn't get along with one's parents, and they, in turn, do nothing for the kid," Antonia leaned back further into her seat. They were almost to Lex's home. "How are you?" She was trying to desperately change the subject, "I don't want the newspaper answer, I want the real one."  
  
"I'm tired, pissed, angry, bored, challenged, and need a friend," he swallowed at the last revelation.  
  
"That's what I'm here for," she placed her hand on his knee, and smiled. Lex only smiled back as they pulled into his driveway.  
  
His butler and housekeeper were waiting as they pulled up. The butler opened both doors and got into Lex's vacated driver's seat. The housekeeper had an umbrella handed to Antonia and Lex as soon as the rain started to just pour down. Lex and Antonia ran up to the door and once inside, another maid was there to take their coats, but Tony kept her purse nearby. The old friends walked up the main staircase and onto the second floor. Lex guided her to his bedroom, where a nice-sized sitting room was located. Lex just smiled at her as he offered her a seat.  
  
Tony smiled in response and sat down on the bed, just to be contrary. Looking up at him, she patted the area next to her, "There's room for more..."  
  
"I never had any doubt," once Lex was seated, both plopped down on their backs and stared at the ceiling. "What are you really doing here?" he glanced out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"Truth, I was bored stiff with college, I had caused a whole lot of trouble as a result, and my mother and father needed time to spend with each other without having to worry that they'd get a call stating that I was in jail for a busted rave, club, etc." Tonia sounded bitter as she stared at the ceiling, wondering what it would be like to live in a castle in Smallville, not to mention waking up next to Lex, again.  
  
"We both get banished to Smallville for being disappointments," he reached for her hand, in a purely platonic manner. He was wondering what it would be like to wake up in a castle in Italy, not to mention waking up next to Tony...again.  
  
"The irony of it is, the last straw...well...I wasn't doing anything. My ex- decided it would be a good way to pay me back," Antonia yawned.  
  
"Your ex-?" he felt jealousy rising in his throat.  
  
"Yeah. Wanna know why we aren't together?" she turned to face Lex. He nodded, and she continued, "He wasn't who I really wanted. I was using him as a substitute for what I really wanted. Where did it get me except in this place in America?" Tony's voice was cold, detached.  
  
Lex turned to face her, "Don't." At her confused gaze, he continued, "Don't ever say anything in that tone of voice again." Before she could come up with some smart-ass response, he finished, "I can't stand hearing that voice from you, anyone but you, but just, not you. I said that at least three times, you'll remember that."  
  
She smiled slyly, "I'll remember." She turned her head back up and closed her eyes. Before she knew what was happening, Lex tickled her ribs. She shrieked slightly and pulled away. Instead of stopping, Lex continued to tickle her ribs and, before they knew how, they had fallen on the floor. "Stop, stop, stop."  
  
"No way," he was having to much fun, and he'd be damned if her let her win this now. They rolled around a bit until Lex was on top, then they stopped. They just stared at each other for what felt like forever, and finally, when Lex had gotten the balls to kiss her...a cell phone rang.  
  
Groaning, Antonia looked around the room, she grabbed her purse, which was perfectly placed, and she answered her phone. "Hola," she turned with Lex as he rolled off of her. She rested her head on his silk-clad stomach.  
  
"It's Chloe. Are you okay?" Chloe's voice was filled with concern.  
  
"I'm fine; why?" Antonia inhaled Lex's smell, discreetly of course.  
  
"You sound out of breath, anyway, several of the roads are blocked, due to the massive rain. This means you can't get here, we can't get there, my dad said I could stay in the guest room, and you owe me an interview," Chloe paused to take a short breath.  
  
"E-mail me the questions, or fax 'em, I'm at Lex's house. The fax number is-" Tony turned her head in Lex's direction.  
  
"I prefer to ask in person...you owe me this weekend," Chloe looked confused as she said her good-byes and hung up. Tony hung up and rolled off Lex to face him.  
  
"Looks like I'm stuck here...all night...with you...two years really couldn't have changed you that much...right?...Anytime you feel like saying something, jump right in there..." Antonia continued to look at Lex. "No...really...I mean it...Anytime you wanna, you must have something to say...You always have something to say...Lex, you're killing me here..."  
  
Lex put his index finger on her full lips to silence her, "If you would just shut up-"  
  
Her face cracked into a smile, "So what deep philosophical discussion do you wanna have?"  
  
"Now see, you're doing it again; always with the interrupting. But speaking of big questions, where did you go after senior year?" Lex's voice was commanding, he wanted an answer.  
  
"I went back to Italy, for college. I'm on my second Master's degree," Antonia explained, calmly.  
  
"You were always the genius of our group," Lex shook his head and chuckled.  
  
"How would you have passed all those Chemistry tests without me?" she joined his laugh, hers was deep and intriguing, not unlike its owner.  
  
"God only knows," Lex's hand returned to his side. "So what degrees do you have?"  
  
"Bachelor's in Language and Psychology, and a Master's in Language, but I'm getting my Master's in Abnormal Pyschology," Tony's eyes never left Lex's. The last time they had been this close had been forever ago.  
  
"No business, economics, or accounting I see," his voice was soft.  
  
"Of course not. You expect me to do something my mother wants me to do?" she smiled.  
  
"Well, I did major in Economics..." Lex paused.  
  
"That's because you have no one to protect you from your father. My mother and father just ignore me, they hardly care."  
  
"The rich kid's syndrome," Lex nodded. Antonia and Lex then turned to more positive things, and they stayed up until about 2:00am bantering about anything and eveything.  
  
"I actually prefer 'em tall, thin, and well, enhanced. Best sheets? I'll have to say silk for romance and Egyptian cotton for everyday wear," Lex said, having no idea why they were talking about bedrooms.  
  
"Jersey's are the best, cotton, comfortable," Antonia sighed, she loved those sheets.  
  
"Now, I wouldn't even think of putting Jersey sheets on my bed," he smirked.  
  
"Wow, and to think, people thought Lex Luthor was just a spoiled brat," she quiped back.  
  
"Shut up," Lex frowned, unhappy.  
  
Antonia yawned and shrugged, "Whatever, I'm tired."  
  
"I'll take you to a guest room," he gallantly opened the door. "After you, m'lady."  
  
Rolling her eyes, Antonia followed. Lex showed her to a room just down the hall from his. It was a richly colored room in deep reds and forest greens. She changed into a t-shirt and p.j. pants Lex gave her; the pants were flannel and so well worn the knees looked like they were about to give. After collapsing into bed, Antonia fell asleep in minutes. When she finally woke up, it was twelve o'clock, and Lex was sitting on the edge of the bed, gently shaking her. He was muttering something about needing to leave for Metropolis before the bad weather started up again.  
  
"Go away, I was happy," Tony turned away from him and groaned. Taking this as incentive, Lex pulled off all the covers. "I hate you," she never opened her eyes, just held her hand out for coffee and sat up.  
  
"Coffee," Lex handed a steaming cup to her. "You have some clothes hanging in the bathroom, feel free to shower soon so we can be on our way to Metropolis. The hotel called your cell to confirm the reservations. I did. We need to leave asap, and I have a lunch prepared for us. I also have a limo ready to take us, unless you prefer separate cars, and your clothes have been picked up and are waiting for your decision."  
  
"What are you, my personal servant?" one of Antonia's eyes opened as she talked.  
  
"Just a guy trying to get a date," Lex smirked and left the room. Sticking his head back in he smiled, "Bruce can't wait to see you. Called to see if I was coming tonight, and if so, who I was coming with. I hope you don't mind me mentioning you."  
  
"I'll be down in five minutes," she put her cup down and sprang out of bed, rushing towards the bathroom. ****************** A/N: Third part should be up Saturday morning or Sunday night. Review please, thank you. **Peace to all in this time of need** 


	3. Now, there's some mystery

My Antonia  
  
By Sarah  
  
Disclaimer:Yes, I own them. Hell has frozen over, the devil bought ice skates, and pigs can fly. That is why I am writing fanfiction and have no money. In other words- no, I don't own them. I do own Antonia, Melissa, and anyone you don't recognize. I owe the title to the Willa Cather book by the same name.  
  
Summary: If you thought one Sullivan girl was bad, try having two, in the same small town...  
  
******************* Chapter Three  
  
Lex was in the dining room, well, one of them, when Antonia came down, true to her word, five minutes later. She was dressed in a black tank top and a red mini-skirt with black stilettos. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, held in place with three pencils. It looked like it hadn't been washed.  
  
"If I hear one comment on how I look, there will be hell to pay," she slid into a chair gracefully, taking a swig of the coffee that was set down in front of her.  
  
"I'm not gonna say a thing, but you look nice," Lex shook his head slightly to indicate he didn't want any more coffee and sent the cook out of the room.  
  
"Oh, how nice of you to lie," she picked up a bagel and put cheese, olives, and mayo on it, "but thank you."  
  
"Do you wanna travel with or without me?" he gave her his best puppy dog eye look.  
  
Not looking at him, she took a bite of her sandwich, considering the option. "With, I wanna see the rumors we can start."  
  
"You're worse than Britany Spears," Lex mumbled.  
  
"I hope to God you didn't mean that," she shot him a "if looks could kill" look.  
  
"So, we're Catholic now, huh?" he made the mistake of catching her eye.  
  
"Yes, we are," Antonia's eyes narrowed. "What did you mean about Britany Spears?"  
  
"You just wanna spread rumors like she does, and I hope that's the only area you two are alike in," Lex made a not-so-subtle glace at Antonia's chest.  
  
"Just sit on it and twirl," she glared at him. "You suck."  
  
"If I remember correctly, you don't," Lex winced as soon as he said that. "That's not what I meant," he was immediately at her side.  
  
"I know," she shrugged. "Let's go, I'm not that hungry." She stood and left half her bagel sandwich on the table.  
  
"Of course, your Bruce awaits," he joked as they walked into the hall. The servants took Lex's order's before he turned back to Tony.  
  
"My Bruce?!? And here I thought you two had finally admitted to being a couple," Antonia laughed lightly. "Is Vicki coming to this ball?"  
  
"We aren't a couple. Vicki, who?" Lex asked as they ran to the limo under the cover of an umbrella.  
  
"Oh, Vicki, the bitch of the century, head so far up her own ass, future Mrs. Lex Luthor, don't make me say her last name," she clarified, settling into the car.  
  
"I don't know. By the way her name is Victoria, and she is not the future Mrs. Lex Luthor. If I can't have you, I don't want anybody," he tried to joke.  
  
"Except Bruce," her brown eyes glanced out of the window.  
  
"Precisely," Lex Luthor picked up his laptop and cell. He planned to catch up on business the whole ride there.  
  
The two friends settled down for the three hour drive. Lex talked on the phone and typed a lot as Antonia mentally prepared herself for the evening ahead. She also tied up some loose business ties and then left messages on the Sullivans' answering machine. They basically said where she was going, when she'd be back, and when she and Chloe were gonna sit down to that interview.  
  
After what felt like forever to one and not enough time to the other, the car pulled up to the LuthorHotel. They didn't speak as Antonia got out and got an overnight bag. Lex kissed her cheek for a goodbye and drove off to his apartment.  
  
"A brilliant mind a million and a half miles away," Antonia muttered.  
  
When she got to her room, a hair stylist and designer were already there. "Trabajan," Antonia scolded them, basically she told them to work. The hair stylist sat her down and had her hair up in curlers in no time. She was told to shower now, but not to wash her hair. Back out in thirty minutes, Antonia sat back down as the stylist continued. When he was done, her hair looked like a hair-do Athena would want. Her dark hair was curled and pulled back in a classic Greek appearance.  
  
The stylist also did her make-up, sheer red gloss on her lips and well defined eyes completed the facial part of the process. The designer then stepped up with a gorgeous ivory dress. The dress was low cut in the front and back, showing off her well-defined shoulders, and it swept the floor. It slit up the side to her upper thigh on one side, but if she stood still, the slit disappeared. It had a gold silk rope wrapped around to slim the dress down. The dress's sleeves had slits down to her elbows and then from her elbows to her wrists it connected again. Her shoes were gold and had straps that wrapped around her ankles. They were also stilettos, surprise, surprise.  
  
When she was finally finished, it was six-o'clock and the limo had arrived to take her to the party. She arrived at the gala event in perfect time. As soon as she exited the limo, cameras were flashing in her face, and reporters were demanding answers. Out of nowhere, a tall, dark-haired man came to her rescue.  
  
Once inside, Antonia turned to thank her savior. "Thank- Bruce!" she threw her arms around him.  
  
"Hey, beautiful," Bruce Wayne returned his good friend's hug, while spinning her around.  
  
"So, who's your date?" Tonia glanced around the crowded entrance when Bruce released her.  
  
"Jenny Fishman," he nodded in the direction of the famous E! reporter. Antonia scanned the woman. She was a pretty blonde in a white dress that was not a good look for her coloring and type.  
  
"Who dressed her?" Antonia asked, shocked anyone would think to dress a pale woman in a pale dress.  
  
"Herself, I assume," Bruce looked very confused.  
  
"I meant who designed the dress?" Tony clarified, mock-glaring at Bruce. Bruce kept his arm over her shoulder.  
  
"I have no idea. Why?" his eyebrow raised.  
  
"Oh, no reason. Is she as innocent as that dress implies," Antonia let her eyes not-so-subletly glance down.  
  
"That's none of your business," he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably, "but off the record, I have no idea."  
  
"Fascinating," Tony just stared at him.  
  
"So...Who's your date?" Bruce asked, dropping his arm as he gestured to Jenny.  
  
"I am, and you knew that," Lex joined the two-some just before Jenny did. Lex shook his friend's hand, then slipped his arm around Antonia's waist. Bruce flinched slightly, then placed his arm around Jenny.  
  
"Oh, come on, Lex. Let's dance," Antonia whispered as she heard the music from the other room.  
  
"You can dance in that dress?" Lex asked, then swallowed audibly as Antonia took a step away from him, and her perfectly shaped leg was shown. "Never mind, I'm coming." Lex excused himself and Antonia.  
  
"Bruce," Jenny said in a very sexy voice, "I wanna dance, too."  
  
"Then, let's join them."  
  
The orchestra had just started a salsa number as the two couples set up. Antonia was the best dancer of the four, closely followed by Bruce, then Lex, but Jenny couldn't even keep the beat. Antonia and Lex had such chemistry that eventually, the other couples stopped what they were doing and watched the two of them. Lex and Antonia made a fantastic pair; his bald head, fair skin, and rich blue eyes were perfectly accented by Antonia's thick black hair, dark skin, and dark brown eyes.  
  
Her dress flared and allowed her movements to be a big and flowing as possible. Lex kept a straight face, but Tony just grinned like crazy. "Let's make some rumors fly," she whispered into Lex's ear.  
  
"Too late, my dear," Lex smirked at her. When the dance was finished, they gracefully separated.  
  
"Mind if I cut in?" Bruce asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry; I forget you two sometimes wanna dance together in more than the horizontal way," Antonia took a step backwards.  
  
"I want to dance with you," Bruce grabbed her hand. "Lex and I save any dancing we do for business," he glanced at Lex.  
  
Lex held up his hands in mock surrender, "I know when I've been defeated, and it is the waltz, which I remember is your song." He turned and asked Jenny to dance, and then pulled her over to the side to focus the attention on Antonia and Bruce. He felt a stab of jealousy hit his stomach, but he quickly shook it off.  
  
While Antonia and Bruce had better style than Lex and Antonia, the other dancers were not as distracted by them because they lacked the passion and chemistry Lex and Antonia shared. When done, Bruce whispered something to Antonia, who just smirked. They walked over to Lex and Jenny, Jenny looked about ready to scream at Lex. The two couples then separated to do their mingling with the crowd.  
  
Both couples danced a little more, partied a little more, and ate a little more, but they didn't see each other again until they were about to leave. Bruce was helping Jenny with her wrap when Lex and Antonia entered. Neither had a coat so they just waited patiently for Jenny and Bruce.  
  
"Here's my card," Antonia said in French, handing her card with her cell phone number on it, circled.  
  
"Thank you, I will definitely call you," Bruce accepted it and they kissed each other on the cheek. "We'll do something."  
  
"Fantastic," Tony smiled, then she and Bruce ended their goodbyes and turned to their dates. The French had ended with their conversation, but Jenny was still looking like Bruce was speaking a foreign language.  
  
"He's not getting any tonight," Lex mumbled.  
  
"That was his goal, I think..." Antonia frowned slightly. "Oh, who cares, because you aren't either. Good night, Lex."  
  
Lex and Antonia parted and got into their separate cars. Antonia went straight to the hotel, were she wearily went up to room and quickly undressed. She fell into the bed naked with her hair still up and her make- up still done. It was midnight. *****************  
  
Antonia was forced out of sleep by a ringing somewhere, popping one eye open, she glared at the clock, which read 2:03. She picked up the hotel phone and accepted the call.  
  
"Antonia, it's Lex, I have some bad news," Lex's voice was barely coming through the line.  
  
"What's wrong? Where are you? What's the bad news?" Antonia sat straight up in bed. Her distressed state made her accent very thick, which in turn made it even harder to understand her.  
  
"I just needed to tell you something before I go. Something that can't wait. There's something you need to know about Smallville and the people there," Lex paused.  
  
"What is it, Alexander?" Antonia was practically shouting.  
  
"There are these rocks that-" Lex's cell phone died.  
  
"Alexander? Alexander!" Antonia shouted into the phone. "Damnit!" she exclaimed, slamming the phone into the receiver. Antonia called her limo driver and told him to meet her downstairs in five minutes.  
  
Antonia jumped out of bed and into the bathroom. She glanced into the mirror and was surprised that her hair and make-up wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Climbing into a pair of black track pants and a bright blue tank top, Antonia kept walking around the room. Grabbing her cell phone and handbag, Antonia raced downstairs, in her comfy sneakers, and into her waiting limo.  
  
"Bruce Wayne's apartment, please," she ordered. Antonia then tried calling Lex's cell again, but all she got was the annoying message that the customer she was trying to reach wasn't available. Antonia raced into the building, where security would've stopped her, but didn't when she showed then her pass from two years ago. She raced up to the fifth story, the climbed into the elevator and made to the penthouse.  
  
She pounded on the door loud enough to wake the dead. "Open the hell up, Bruce Wayne," she yelled.  
  
"One moment," Bruce finally mumbled, opening the door. "What are you doing here, Antonia?"  
  
"Lex is gone, his cell phone is dead, and he said something about going somewhere," Antonia said.  
  
"Why? What?" Bruce rubbed his face as he gestured for Antonia to come inside.  
  
"Because Lex didn't sound right, I think he was kidnapped," she was royally pissed off.  
  
"Give me a minute, okay?" Bruce held out a hand for her to pause. "I know what's going on, and all I can tell you is it's nothing to worry about, he's fine."  
  
Antonia screamed, "He is not fine! He is never going to be fine! He does not disappear without his cell phone!" The woman stormed into the large apartment, taking up the large space in moments. The front room was decorated with furniture designed for looks not comfort, with its designer everything.  
  
The young man immediately paused, "He didn't take his cell phone?" This was a non-existing occurence, Lex always had a fully charged cell phone...always.  
  
"The battery died!" Antonia's yelling had died down, but she was now near hysterics.  
  
"Call the FBI and then Lex's father. He called me and said something about going back to Smallville tonight. Let me call down there, see if anyone's seen him," Bruce assumed command.  
  
Antonia picked up the phone before Bruce even finished. She had the FBI on the case in less than twenty minutes, and then, she called Lionel.  
  
"Might I ask who dares to call me at this late hour," the voice of a man whose only goal was to spread evil, or so it seemed, came through.  
  
"This is Antonia Tribiani, your goddaughter," the woman's voice came out dead. She rose from the uncomfortable seat she had taken on a couch, "This is about your son...He's missing."  
  
"Give him a few hours, I'm sure he'll turn up," Lionel Luthor mentally scolded Antonia. The person next to him in bed shifted her body towards his.  
  
"His cell phone is dead," Antonia offered, trying to give this heartless man a reason to care.  
  
"Maybe he didn't want to be disturbed?" the elder Luthor male suggested, smiling as his bed companion woke up.  
  
"Lionel...hang up the phone," the woman laughed lightly.  
  
"Victoria!?" Antonia exclaimed, dropping the phone onto the floor. When she gathered herself enough to pick it up, Lionel had hung up. The young woman then decided she could no longer sit around this hospital-like apartment. She needed to talk to Chloe.  
  
Leaving a message with Alfred to explain why she had left, Tony called the airport and booked a flight. She called the hotel and told the receptionist to send her luggage and belongings to the airport, and the payment had already been transferred. Antonia left Bruce's apartment and fell into the waiting limo. After boarding the plane, she remembered nothing until arriving in Smallville. ***************** A/N: I'm sorry for updating now, but between work and school, my free time no longer exists, and sleeping is an activity I no longer do. 


	4. Dun, dun, duuunnn

My Antonia  
  
By Sarah  
  
Disclaimer:Yes, I own them. Hell has frozen over, the devil bought ice skates, and pigs can fly. That is why I am writing fanfiction and have no money. In other words- no, I don't own them. I do own Antonia, Melissa, and anyone you don't recognize. I owe the title to the Willa Cather book by the same name.  
  
Summary: If you thought one Sullivan girl was bad, try having two, in the same small town...  
  
*****************Chapter Four  
  
Antonia was sneaking into her uncle's house at six in the morning, when she nearly collided with Chloe. Chloe nearly screamed until she saw who it was.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Chloe hissds, on her way out for her morning workout.  
  
"Lex has disappeared," Antonia held back the tears that threatened to form. "He hasn't called anyone in about four hours, and his cell phone isn't on..."  
  
"Okay, first of all, you need to calm down, second, I need to investigate, and third, we need to find him," Chloe was already thinking six steps ahead. "Tell me everything you know."  
  
*****************  
  
Lex opened one eye, the only one he could, and winced. His left eye was swollen shut, his head hurt, and his entire body felt like he'd gotten hit by a Mack truck. Light was shining through a crack in the wall. The room was small and looked like the interior of a garden shed. There were tools all over, and except for the lone sliver of light, it was dark. The shed smelled of mold and mildew and reminded Lex of a poem he had read long ago, Root Cellar by Thomas Roethke.  
  
Lex moaned as he felt his last meal and all of that wine, champagne, and so on rise to the back of his throat. He leaned to the side just as his stomach heaved its contents onto the dusty floor. After vomiting, he felt a little less dizzy and a little better.  
  
"Well...well...well...Look who has decided to join the world of the living," a voice came from the doorway behind Lex. He froze as a woman entered. She was dressed head to toe in black leather, her boots had four inch heels, and her long blonde hair was down and wild. She was tall and leggy anyway, but her long, narrow features only emphasized the length. She was not incredibly attractive, but she radiated with confidence. And Lex was scared shitless.  
  
"Who are you?" he managed to croak.  
  
"Call me," she paused to lean in really close, "Missy."  
  
"Melissa Leel? You're the wife of Kyle Leel, he died last month in a car accident," Lex's memories came flooding back. He was going to die.  
  
"Yes, my late husband was Kyle, but it doesn't matter, because I got what I wanted," she smiled a very cat-with-the-canary grin and approached. She made her way to Lex's position.  
  
"I can give you anything you want, just let me know what you want," he told her, reminding himself he wasn't begging.  
  
"Oh, you are," she knelt onto the ground in front of him. "I want to see you hurt as much as my husband did before he died."  
  
"I had nothing-" he was cut off as she slapped him across his left cheek.  
  
"Shut up! I'll do all the talking," Melissa leaned forward. "I hate you. I hate your new girlfriend. I hate your ideas, but most of all, I hate you!" She shoved him and his chair flew to the far wall, four feet away.  
  
"I can help you," Lex explained calmly. He needed to distract her long enough for Tonia to find him. He looked up at his capturess in time to see her fist crash into the side of his face. The last thing he saw was Melissa approaching him. He held onto consciousness just long enough to think one last thought of Antonia, then he gave into the pain. *******************  
  
Chloe and Antonia were sitting in the living room two afternoons later, researching, when there was a knock on the door. Chloe got up to answer it, and she invited the blond woman in.  
  
"I just came by to drop off this for your father," the tall secretary smiled politely.  
  
"Okay, he's not home, but I'll make sure he gets them, Mrs. Leel," Chloe replied as the woman departed.  
  
"Who was that?" Antonia asked from her sprawled position on the couch. Her eyes were brimmed red from exhaustion. Research was spread all around as she and Chloe were desperately trying to piece together a profile.  
  
"Melissa Leel, why?" Chloe asked as Antonia turned and walked to the window. Chloe slowly walked over to her cousin, "Tony?"  
  
"She did it," Antonia said blandly.  
  
"No, she didn't. She couldn't have," the blonde tried to protect her dad's secretary.  
  
"Why not, why couldn't she have!?! For that matter, why couldn't Clark have done it, or Pete, or Lionel, or Bruce, or someone that just walked by!? Why not!?! Why did it have to be Lex?" Antonia's tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to give anyone the benefit of seeing them.  
  
Chloe said nothing and just hugged her cousin. The two stood there, next to the window, basking in the comfort the other provided. After a while, Antonia pulled away and sat back down to the research.  
  
"Chloe, who would want revenge for something Lex hasn't neccessarily done but could have been involved in?" the dark-haired woman suddenly asked as realization hit.  
  
"Um...Lots of people I guess. Why?" Chloe was quite confused. Her cousin was probably going crazy with all her emotions, and as far as Chloe knew, Antonia didn't share emotions.  
  
"What if this pyschopath has decided that Lex was responsible for this travesty, even if he wasn't? This could make the person believe that Lex should pay for whatever was done, and this, inturn, could create a "darker" side of the person," Antonia was on a roll now. "This means that the situtation could have happened within the last six months. Which means we need to double cross all of the recent accident reports with employees at Luth-sorry, LexCorp."  
  
"I've got it covered. Tony, why don't you go take a nap? I can call Clark and we can go through this in no time," Chloe was trying to help her cousin, she knew this was going to be a big burden for her.  
  
"No, I need to see this through to the end," Tony insisted, shaking her head.  
  
"And how much good will it do Lex if, when we find him, you can't help because you're suffering from exhaustion?" Chloe easily countered her cousin.  
  
"Fine, wake me the moment you find anything, and I mean anything," Antonia agreed, she went up to her room to take just an hour long nap.  
  
Chloe phoned Clark and asked him to come over. Getting there in record time, Clark helped Chloe narrow the suspect list down in no time, and when she wasn't looking, Clark snuck in a few fast scans. Within two hours they had the list narrowed down to twenty people.  
  
Clark and Chloe were sitting on the couch, going over the list just one more time, when Antonia came downstairs. She was very rumpled.  
  
"I thought I told you to wake me when you found something," Antonia scolded. She sat down in the armchair next to Chloe's side of the couch.  
  
"We would if we had found something," Chloe answered, looking at her cousin.  
  
"Let me look at the list," Antonia held her hand out for the printout. She picked up a pen from the coffee table, which was littered with papers, and went through the list, making marks where she thought fit. She muttered little comments as she went through. Then, after a bit, she handed the paper back to Chloe.  
  
"Fran Hannle, Charles Kendall, Meli-" Chloe looked up sharply. "Why Melissa Leel?"  
  
"I narrowed it down to people's whose spouses or children had died. She just happened to be on the list of five people," the dark-haired woman shrugged.  
  
"Why don't we just split up the whole list? I can call Pete and Lana, and we can each take four," Clark suggested, trying to be the peacemaker.  
  
"That sounds like a good idea, Clark," Antonia said, too tired to do much fighting. "Use my cell," she tossed it at the friends.  
  
Clark called Pete while Chloe called Lana, and in twenty minutes, the five were sitting around the kitchen table with the list of suspects and a map of Smallville.  
  
"Okay, we are looking for any type of storage facillity in the back yard or somewhere on the property. Also, if the suspect tries to avoid talking to you, it could mean something. Lastly, and this goes more for Chloe and myself, if there is anything unusual, do not, and I repeat do not, go on without someone. We'll meet back here in an hour to brief," Antonia nodded and checked everyone.  
  
"One thing," Pete asked. At Antonia's nod, he continued, "What are we supposed to talk to them about?"  
  
"Say you are taking a poll on which fundraiser would be most effective for the school and try to get them to talk about it," Antonia answered, her voice tired. Everyone looked at the map one last time and split up. They all took their own cars, or in Clark's case, said they were going to get their car.  
  
Antonia had the last five, and she had a feeling none of them had anything to do with it. Three were in their late fifties, early sixties, and all their spouses had died by car accidents. The fourth one was an elderly woman whose son had died by one of the "Freaks-of-the-Weeks." The fourth was a young man whose daughter had died in a boating accident. None were really shocking nor did they involve Lex in anyway.  
  
Lana had had two couples and a middle-aged man. The couples had just been in accidents and one of the four was paralyzed. The middle-aged man's wife had left him for a janitor in the plant, and she had died when her plane crashed. All were talkative and helpful.  
  
Clark's list consisted of the first five people, none of which seemed too avoid him, and all of which lived in an apartment complex or the senior center. Pete's were all victims of "Freaks-of-the-weeks" and two had moved.  
  
Chloe's people were the interesting ones. One was a couple whose son had died last week, and they weren't very cooperative. The third person had been fired by Lionel after her husband ran off with Lionel's secretary, but the person had been hired back by Lex. The fourth person was a young man whose father had died in a farming accident related to LuthorCorp. The last one on her list was Melissa Leel. Since she only had five minutes left, Chloe decided to go home and maybe avoid going to the Leels'.  
  
When the five regrouped, it was decided that two would go to the Leels' front door, two others would sneak around behind the house, and the last would stay in a car with the engine on for an easy escape route, if they were right.  
  
Chloe thought it would be best for her and Lana to go to the front door. They were two teenage girls, and Chloe knew Melissa. Antonia and Clark would go around back, and Pete, after some arguement, would stay in his car with Antonia's cell phone. Pete, knowing Clark's secret, decided it would be best to send him with Antonia, but that made it no less difficult. ******************* 


End file.
